Sitka cellphone callers can't reach 911; city gives direct numbers for police and fire

Cellphone callers in Sitka cannot reach 911 or the police and fire business lines, the City and Borough of Sitka said Wednesday. The city gave residents direct numbers to use until service returns.

To reach the Sitka Fire Department from a cellphone, call 907-738-3473. To reach the Sitka Police Department from a cellphone, call 907-738-3151. For non-emergencies, the city asks residents to email the police department at [email protected].

Landline calls still connect to 911 and to both business lines, according to the city's public service announcement. The outage affects phones at city facilities, including the police and fire departments.

Phone carriers know about the problem and are working on a fix, the city said. It gave no timeline for repairs.

It's the second time since summer that some Sitka callers couldn't get through to 911. On July 31, a vehicle hit a utility line and cut 911 access for some phone customers, and police told people to call dispatch directly, Alaska News reported.